Professional Safety

March 2015

Professional Safety

For more than 50 years, ASSE's Professional Safety journal has been sharing the latest technical knowledge in SH&E—information that is constantly being developed through research and on-the-job experience.

Each issue delivers practical guidance, techniques and solutions to help OSH professionals identify hazards, protect people, prevent injuries, improve work environments and educate management that investing in safety is a sound business strategy.

In This Issue...

Cover Story & Features

Welcome to the Professional Safety articles section. Here you'll find this month's offering of articles that deliver cutting-edge information, lessons learned and practical guidance from practioners in the safety, health, and environmental profession.

Full-issue PDFs of Professional Safety (from January 2005 forward) are now available to members through ASSE's Members Only website. Each file contains interactive links to help members navigate through the file. We've also included links to ASSE, regulatory agencies and other sources, and the journal's advertisers. A reader simply needs to mouse over a link to be redirected.

Cover Story

Safety Management Peer-Reviewed

Safety committees can be an effective tool for change if properly managed and led. By incorporating several key elements into planning and organizing these teams, OSH professionals can help them produce better results. Leading safety teams goes beyond good planning and organizing. It encompasses providing direction and ensuring that all members are on-board and support the safety program’s overall mission as well as the company’s strategic plan.

Use of a pneumatic nail gun with a sequential actuation trigger (SAT) significantly diminishes the risk for acute traumatic injury compared to use of a contact actuation trigger (CAT) nail gun. A theoretically based increased risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders from use of an SAT nail gun, relative to CAT, appears unlikely and remains unproven. Based on current knowledge, use of CAT nail guns cannot be justified as a safe alternative to SAT nail guns. The authors recommend the use of the SAT for all nail gun tasks in the construction industry.

Emerging Risks Peer-Reviewed

Unmanned aerial systems pose multiple challenges to safety professionals both in their design and operations. System design criteria must address design reliability, human factors and the operating limitations from a total system point of view to ensure airworthiness. Careful deployment of certified unmanned aerial systems can help safety professionals improve safety.